Contemplating our path

03/02/2025

The signs of hope

St Angela promised to be in our midst, lending aid to our prayer, whatever the time and context of our lives.

This year, as we join with the Church throughout the world in response to the invitation of Pope Francis to be Pilgrims of Hope, perhaps we can consider how Angela gave expression to her hope and how she encouraged hope in others.

As you reflect on Angela’s spirit, how do you understand her as a woman of hope? Where do you see signs of her ability to encourage hope in others?  What are the signs of hope that you experience in your daily life? What are the ways in which you can share these signs of hope with others, building together a more hopeful experience for all?

The image of Angela, from the statue in the Church of St Angela in Le Grezze, speaks strongly to me of hope: the young woman, impelled by an inner energy, quietly setting forth towards whatever might lie ahead, carrying seeds of nourishment to share with others. Perhaps this image can offer us some wisdom as we enter the Jubilee year and our 125th year as Roman Union Ursulines.

Let us, together, rely on Angela’s promise to be with us, joining her prayer with ours, when so much of our world is in such desperate need of hope.

Sr. Susan Flood osu, Prioress General, from the Circular 310